A Doggone Good Time

If you’ve been in Benicia for long enough, you know by now that we love festivals and fairs. Sections of our Main Street have been blocked off for the Peddler’s Fair, car shows, the Christmas tree lighting, and more events than we can remember. While the boxes have been checked off for several categories, there is one that Benicia has never ticked off the list: a dog festival. Lucky for us and our furry friends, Benicia will be having its first ever dog festival on October 17th.

But what exactly does a “dog festival” entail?

At the First Annual Benicia Dog Festival, event goers will celebrate, honor, and help dogs in all of Northern California. Offering fun for both humans and pups, this free one-day event will include pop-up food stands hosted by local eateries, pet related vendors and booths, live music and performances, dog & me competitions, artist pet paintings, and dog adoptions. Included in the entertainment and ceremony section will be a demonstration by Benicia Police Department’s K-9 unit and a pet blessing ceremony. At the pet blessing ceremony, ladybugs will be released at the closing of the event to honor pets that are no longer with us. Participants who would like to commemorate their lost pets will be able to purchase ladybugs at the event.

Most importantly, the Benicia Dog Festival will generate proceeds for Northern Californian non-profit animal rescue organizations.

These non-profit organizations rescue and care for animals that have been affected by natural disasters and declared emergencies. With wildfire seasons becoming worse each year, these organizations’ work is becoming more important than ever before.

If you would like to get involved, you can participate as a volunteer, vendor, sponsor, or donor. As a volunteer, you can help with setting up/taking down, visitor/guest services, “poop patrol,” or crowd control. If you would like to participate as a vendor, you can have a 10 x 10 ft space at the event for a tax-deductible fee. For sponsorship, companies can associate their business with the Benicia Dog Festival and connect with the community through major or minor name placement at the event. To become a donor, donations can be given through the Benicia Dog Festival’s website. As a thank you for your donation, a picture of your dog can be uploaded to the site’s main page.

The Benicia Dog Festival will take place at the Benicia Green from 11am to 4pm on October 17th. For more information and to get involved, visit www.beniciadogfestival.com. See you there!